August 2025: Male birth control trial results, an SBIR/grant collab between two Bioentrepreneurs companies, and open positions
Hey, this is Michael from The Bioentrepreneurs: Stanford, UCSF, Berkeley. Each month, I bring you key updates and exclusive insights straight from the teams driving innovation across these cutting-edge life sciences ecosystem.
Here's what's happening in August 2025:
This Month's Companies
YourChoice Therapeutics [A, Tx]
Recently published their Phase 1A single dose study in Nature
The original findings of their efficacy were shown in mice and monkeys and were published in Nature in March
Completed a Phase 1B clinical trial where they dosed men for 28 days.
Received approval to run a 90 day phase 2 study in New Zealand and are over 50% recruited for this study.
No safety findings
Xylo Bio [Seed, Neuro Tx]
Gordon Research Conference on the Neurobiology of Psychedelics (Rhode Island, July 13–18): The Xylo team presented new findings and engaged with leaders in serotonergic neurotherapeutics.
Targeted Neuro Talks with Professor Rob Malenka (Stanford University) unpacks a multi-lab study on the replicability of psilocybin’s effects in mice and what it means for translational neuroscience. Watch it here
The XEIA Podcast: Xylo co-founders Josh Ismin and Dr. Sam Banister discuss 5-HT2A and AI-driven drug discovery and why Xylo’s approach may offer a new path forward in neuropsychiatry. Listen here
Coming up: 8th Neuropsychiatric Drug Development Summit (Boston, September 9–11): CSO Sam Banister attending
Hiring:
Director of Clinical Operations (Sydney strongly preferred)
Chief Development Officer (San Francisco, CA, flexible)
Velocity Bio [Pre-Seed, Tx]
Velocity Bio received a subaward on a $1.25 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
In collaboration with Cache DNA and Jeremiah Johnson’s lab at MIT, this partnership highlights the companies’ expertise in materials science, microfluidics, biophysics, and molecular biology and exemplifies American ingenuity in developing breakthrough technologies.
More details on this announcement in their recent blog post and LinkedIn post.
Sift Biosciences [Pre-Seed, Oncology/Autoimmunity Tx]
Signed a term sheet for a $3M priced round to advance Sift's first program. Interested in participating in the round? Contact CEO & Founder Clare Lou at [email protected].
Sift Biosciences is pioneering a new class of immunotherapies by combining machine learning with human cell-based screening to generate novel peptides that activate antimicrobial memory T-cells to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Sculpta Bio [Pre-Seed, Neuro Tx]
Hiring: Apply to join Sculpta, an ambitious early-stage biotech pioneering Protein Sculpting therapeutics. They use splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides to change the structure and function of disease causing proteins in the brain. They are recruiting a bench scientist to investigate the mechanistic biology of Protein Sculpting and bring a new class of drugs to the clinic to treat devastating brain disorders. You'll drive cellular and molecular biology studies, target validation, and scientific directions on the way to IND with a team with exceptional stem cell biology and computational biology expertise. If you thrive in fast-paced environments and are motivated by the urgency of improving human brain health, they want you on their team. Reach out by sending them a message on the Sculpta LinkedIn page - the job will be posted shortly.
Nextnet [Seed, Research Software]
In science, answers without sources don’t cut it. The same goes for AI. This quick guide shows how Nextnet Copilot helps you trace every answer back to the original source.
See what users are saying. Dr. Stephen Lin (biotech veteran) and Dr. Janani Krishnamurthy (City of Hope) share (here and here) how Nextnet is transforming the way they manage and search through scientific knowledge.
Big upgrade to Nextnet Explorer. It now features dynamically loading citations and references—whether you're exploring a drug, author, institution, or semantic topic. It’s smooth, fast, and makes it easy to go from high-level exploration to finding specific evidence, without breaking your flow.
Sign up for free here: https://getnextnet.com/
Kerna Labs [Seed, mRNA/Genetic Medicines]
Hiring: Senior Research Associate, RNA Therapeutics Platform. They're looking for another colleague to help them build the future of genetic medicines. Apply via their Linkedin post!
Kascaid [Pre-Seed, Dx]
Closed their $2.3 million pre-seed (oversubscribed!) round led by Boost VC, co-led by 2048 Ventures.
DropXcell [Pre-Seed, Drug Disc. Tech + Services]
Want to screen hundreds of thousands of antibodies derived from immunized B cells, AI, or a bispecific library? DropXcell is partnering with both a leading CRO and an AI-derived antibody provider to offer low-cost pilot screens to a select few customers. Limited time only. Contact their CEO Luke Blauch at [email protected] to learn more.
Fundraising and looking to raise $1.5M to reach key revenue milestones. Reach out at [email protected] to learn more.
DropXcell will be attending an invite-only private event at The Mayo Clinic to connect emerging technologies with Mayo Clinic leaders, researchers, global investors, and strategic partners.
DropXcell will be pitching at Plug and Play’s Stanford University Alumni Pitch Session on August 6th, 2025. Investors, come to learn more about DropXcell and support other of The Bioentrepreneurs’ featured companies!
Cache DNA [Seed, Life Sciences Tools/Lab Infrastructure]
Cache DNA is proud to announce the receipt of a $1.25 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
In collaboration with Velocity Bio and Jeremiah Johnson’s lab at MIT, this partnership highlights the companies’ expertise in materials science, microfluidics, and molecular biology, exemplifying American ingenuity in developing breakthrough technologies.
More details on their announcement in their recent blog post, scoop by GenomeWeb, LinkedIn post, and post on X.
Hiring: As part of the award, Cache is recruiting a new chemist to support the expanding materials science efforts. If you or anyone you know may be a good fit for this Head of Chemistry position, please reach out to [email protected]!
Where you can find me this month:
Tuesday, August 19th: Journeys of Serial Female Founders (San Francisco) General, non-Stanford affiliate tickets available.
Notable Events and Programs to Apply For:
Ready to build your next biotech venture? The CU Boulder Embark Program pairs scientific innovators with driven entrepreneurs to co-found deep tech startups based on cutting-edge university research—with funding, IP access, and expert support. Available technologies will be posted and application will remain open August 11–September 12.
Building a Biotech: Company Creation 101
Are you interested in what it takes to build a biotech company from the ground up? If so, apply to attend an upcoming JLABS program, Building a Biotech: Company Creation 101, taking place September 25th at JLABS SSF. Deadline to apply is August 20th.
